Why is my cockatiel sleeping on the floor???

[LilyPearl]

Okay, so I have a 9-month-old cockatiel named Hachi and I've noticed that lately he's been sleeping on the floor of the cage. I see him in the middle of the cage with his head under his wing and one leg up (like he always sleeps)and, honestly, I get scared 'cause since he turned around a month and a half old he was always sleeping on his perch. And this morning, when I went to feed him he IMMEDIATELY ran to eat the seeds but refused to eat the veggies I had for him, so I ended up opening his beak a bit (risking a bite since he's extremely aggressive sometimes) and placing the lettuce (which he loves) in it. Is something wrong with him?? He still eats normally and still eats the sunflower seeds I leave him as an occasional treat but I've never seen him refuse any veggies before. What should I do???

 

[noodles123]

When a perching bird starts sleeping on the cage floor it is an emergency. You need to get him to the vet ASAP because birds hide illness and if he is doing this, it is likely because something is very wrong...and he is too weak to sleep and balance at the same time.

Try to keep him warm and calm as possible...but not hot and if you use a heater make sure it doesn't contain teflon/ptfe/pfoa etc.

Make sure you aren't using any Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/PFCs in the house...and nothing scented (cleaners, candles, sprays etc)...It could be anything at this point, but in a fragile state, you want to be extra careful about everything (including drafts, temperature shifts etc etc) <---These rules apply even with a healthy bird, but I mention them just in case.

If you have to get him to eat something containing liquids, you could try some plain oatmeal cooked with a mashed banana (cooled) or non-fortified (no vitamins added) fruit/veg baby foods as long as they do not contain sodium or a lot of cirtic acid (or any unsafe fruit/veg)...But don't wait to get him in to the vet. It is serious when this happens and I do not want to upset or scare you because I know that isn't what any bird-owner wants to hear, but waiting would be a mistake in my opinion.

 

[Anansi]

Agreed. Sleeping on the floor is most often a bad sign. You should get him to a vet, preferably a Certified Avian Vet, as soon as possible.

 

[LilyPearl]

Thank you, I'll get him to a vet as soon as possible. He still acts normal during the day, very hyperactive and eats just about as much birdseed as he always did, I only noticed the whole sleeping on the floor thing two days ago, as for the balance thing he still balances perfectly normally on my finger and if he's tired even sleeps on it without falling. Im worried, I love the little guy and I don't want anything bad to happen to him. There are no heaters in my home currently and nothing scented, so what could it be? I've always made sure to keep him safe. Maybe all the fireworks because of Christmas and new years scared him???? Again, I don't know but I appreciate any help.

 

[noodles123]

Heaters aren't the only thing that can contain Teflon/PTFE/PFCs/PTFOA (which can kill) BUT-- I am not saying it is that-I have no clue--- it could be bacterial, viral , something that he/she ingested, or something else congenital..Birds catch things just like we do (even if never exposed to other birds).

I will post a list of things that can contain PTFE/PFOA/PFCS etc (just so you have it---but I am not saying that is what this is)...You need to get your bird checked out by a vet that knows parrots well (preferably a board certified avian vet if available where you are)-- like I said, as prey animals, they hide illness as long as they can, so if you see anything odd, you need to get it checked--especially cage-bottom-sleeping. See the link below-

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/83478-my-new-king-parrot-scares-me.html <- scroll down to my 2 massive posts towards the bottom of that first page--- the first talks about fumes etc and the 2nd talks about "sleeping on the bottom of the cage" The time stamps are 6:51 AM and 7:04 for the 2 long posts and is found at the very top left corner in small print (above the body text etc and username). The shorter posts (further toward the top of the first page) also discuss metal toxicity.

Again- yours could have anything going on---I am not saying that these things are definitely the cause, but there is a whole list of stuff that can cause problems in that link, and if you aren't doing any of those things wrong, then again, viral, bacterial, congenital etc...I am only posting this so that you can rule things out--not to upset you. Babies have SO much that can go wrong, so right now, the best thing is just to make sure your bird goes to a good vet.

I keep a pretty clean cage, but my bird randomly got infections when she first came to me (maybe out of stress) but it does happen. Whatever the issue here, it's bad enough to be causing major red-flags.

PS- Just saw what you said about fireworks-- they can scare birds/harm, and they also produce smoke/chemicals which can be dangerous to them..
HOWEVER, If he was going to die from fright, I think he would be dead already (heart attack)...Although...is it possible that he flew into his cage when frightened by the sound (were you with him when there were going off?
I have a feeling that this is something else besides the firework fumes (unless they were strong in your house or the windows were down). I also think it is something more than just general fear ((unless he concussed himself with a night fright).
Again-- only a vet can say for sure (hopefully a good one...as not all vets are good with birds even if they see them regularly).

 

[LilyPearl]

Im going to get him to a vet as soon as possible. As for his behavior he's still pretty normal, he plays with his toys and does all the normal things, including screaming my ears off. He's been pretty sleepy today but im not sure if it's because of all the fireworks from new years or illness.

 

[noodles123]

It's very likely some form of illness if he is sleeping on the floor. Again, they always act as normal as possible because it is protective in the wild...The floor is "vulnerable" to them, so unless weak or VERY young, they don't sleep there.
Get him in today or tomorrow at the very latest if at all possible and make sure it is a vet that really knows birds---exotics vets often lack the proper experience, even if they treat birds...

Bottom line--- any vet that has some idea about birds will be better than nothing at this point.

Again, a dog/cat etc will show obvious signs....Birds hide them until the end, so the fact that you are seeing this is your call to action.

 

[LilyPearl]

Heaters aren't the only thing that can contain Teflon/PTFE/PFCs/PTFOA (which can kill) BUT-- I am not saying it is that-I have no clue--- it could be bacterial, viral , something that he/she ingested, or something else congenital..Birds catch things just like we do (even if never exposed to other birds).

I will post a list of things that can contain PTFE/PFOA/PFCS etc (just so you have it---but I am not saying that is what this is)...You need to get your bird checked out by a vet that knows parrots well (preferably a board certified avian vet if available where you are)-- like I said, as prey animals, they hide illness as long as they can, so if you see anything odd, you need to get it checked--especially cage-bottom-sleeping. See the link below-

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/83478-my-new-king-parrot-scares-me.html <- scroll down to my 2 massive posts towards the bottom of that first page--- the first talks about fumes etc and the 2nd talks about "sleeping on the bottom of the cage" The time stamps are 6:51 AM and 7:04 for the 2 long posts and is found at the very top left corner in small print (above the body text etc and username). The shorter posts (further toward the top of the first page) also discuss metal toxicity.

Again- yours could have anything going on---I am not saying that these things are definitely the cause, but there is a whole list of stuff that can cause problems in that link, and if you aren't doing any of those things wrong, then again, viral, bacterial, congenital etc...I am only posting this so that you can rule things out--not to upset you. Babies have SO much that can go wrong, so right now, the best thing is just to make sure your bird goes to a good vet.

I keep a pretty clean cage, but my bird randomly got infections when she first came to me (maybe out of stress) but it does happen. Whatever the issue here, it's bad enough to be causing major red-flags.

PS- Just saw what you said about fireworks-- they can scare birds/harm, and they also produce smoke/chemicals which can be dangerous to them..
HOWEVER, If he was going to die from fright, I think he would be dead already (heart attack)...Although...is it possible that he flew into his cage when frightened by the sound (were you with him when there were going off?
I have a feeling that this is something else besides the firework fumes (unless they were strong in your house or the windows were down). I also think it is something more than just general fear ((unless he concussed himself with a night fright).
Again-- only a vet can say for sure (hopefully a good one...as not all vets are good with birds even if they see them regularly).

I was with him during most of the firework things but at night im still not sure, im a pretty heavy sleeper but I do recall vaguely hearing him hitting the bottom of the cage so maybe he did get hurt. The fireworks where I live generally go off very close to my house and you can hear them extremely loudly. Unfortunately, I did leave the kitchen windows open a few nights ago and he was really close. Im currently searching for a good avian vet near me since a just moved to the other side of the city. I'll keep a close eye on Hach in the meantime.

 

[noodles123]

He could have hurt himself if he slammed into the bars etc..and smoke is always bad for them.
If you can't find a great avian vet, find A VET that has bird patients and hope for the best.

Just don't let them do anything stupid with your bird, like put antibiotics in water, prescribe antibiotics without testing, try to take blood in some crazy way, or look at the bird without running any tests and say "she looks good, all is well!" <---ugh....hate that.

 

[LilyPearl]

He could have hurt himself if he slammed into the bars etc..and smoke is always bad for them.
If you can't find a great avian vet, find A VET that has bird patients and hope for the best.

Just don't let them do anything stupid with your bird, like put antibiotics in water, prescribe antibiotics without testing, try to take blood in some crazy way, or look at the bird without running any tests and say "she looks good, all is well!" <---ugh....hate that.

I really don't know the area and all the vets I've seen nearby were all for dogs and cats, so im searching for an avian vet, or an exotic animals vet at the very least. As for the vet thing, trust me I won't let them do anything to my baby, I've had him since he was a baby and im not letting anyone do anything to him that isn't necessary or doesn't have a reason. As for the '', she looks good, all is well!'' I've had that happen before with animals and a pet duck I had. (surprise surprise my duck was sick XD) He looks very sleepy, he's right next to me and he's fast asleep, again im keeping a close eye on him while I search for a vet I can take him to.

 

[noodles123]

is Texas out of the question? Ex was from Monterey, so if I recall it's not that far, but could be hard with a bird.

 

[LilyPearl]

Good news!! I found a vet, problem is it's really far away, but I've been there before with my tortoise so at least I know I can trust them. I'll get Hachi there as soon as possible.

 

[LilyPearl]

is Texas out of the question? Ex was from Monterey, so if I recall it's not that far, but could be hard with a bird.

It's not out of the question but its sooo far away, and I've checked avian birds there and it would take me at least 5 hours to get to them, and if he screeches all the way I couldn't stand five hours in the car with a screaming bird.

 

[noodles123]

Yeah....True...plus, there is the added stress of travel for him/her..BUT, you may end up having to drive a bit...There is a chance that there is some sort of semi-sketchy breeder-type person who could maybe help, but that is a MASSIVE gamble because a lot of times, old-school bird people use a very "one-size-fits-all" approach (and they are guessing half of the time) , so unless they are certain they know what is wrong, they could potentially make things worse...

EDIT-- Glad you found a decent vet. Explain that it is an emergency--- diet changes, sleeping on cage-floor, exposure to fireworks and possible head-injury

 

[LilyPearl]

Yeah....True...plus, there is the added stress of travel for him/her..BUT, you may end up having to drive a bit...There is a chance that there is some sort of semi-sketchy breeder-type person who could maybe help, but that is a MASSIVE gamble because a lot of times, old-school bird people use a very "one-size-fits-all" approach (and they are guessing half of the time) , so unless they are certain they know what is wrong, they could potentially make things worse...

True, I don't want him to get stressed. Luckily the vet I found is about 20-25 mins away so at least it's not 5 hours of driving or a person that doesn't know exactly what's wrong. The vet I found, Acutus, has insanely good ratings and its a great place, I've seen them treat all kinds of birds with insane levels of success. (from macaws to cockatoos, to parrots, to parrotlets, to budgies)

 

[noodles123]

GOOD GOOD--- Beg to be squeezed in as an emergency if at all possible---DO NOT downplay the situation when you talk to them.

 

[LilyPearl]

''EDIT-- Glad you found a decent vet. Explain that it is an emergency--- diet changes, sleeping on cage-floor, exposure to fireworks and possible head-injury''
will do!! Im not leaving anything out, I want him to get treated properly, and that includes the vets knowing what's wrong- Im lucky that the vet treats exotic birds too or I'd be in trouble XD. I saw them treating a bird with a broken wing n¿because a cat attacked it and he looked so happy to have company. they even have a tortoise without a leg.

 

[noodles123]

Glad you found something nearby!
Make sure if you drive that you keep him warm (not hot)---keeping lighting dim may help keep him calm but you know him best.
No scented tags or fresheners in the car, and no vents blowing on him. I would bring another person if at all possible, just in case you need help with doors, moral support etc, BUT bottom line: get him in--with or without any other people to accompany you.

A trip in the car can stress out a bird, but if he is doing what you said, he is already sick, so just do what you have to do and know that not doing anything would be worse. Let me know what the vet says!!!

 

[Laurasea]

Sleeping do much is worrisome, ad is bottle of cage sleeping.
Also don't open his beak to put food in his mouth, that's not a good idea.
Do you wash the veggies well, they can have bacteria and pesticides on them. It feeding veggie is definitely a great thing.
How do poops look?
Sorry your buddy is sick, it's always so scary
The fireworks are terrible around here at New year's too! Ugh kept me and the dogs and parrots up. But they didn't do any extra sleeping.

 

[LilyPearl]

Sleeping do much is worrisome, ad is bottle of cage sleeping.
Also don't open his beak to put food in his mouth, that's not a good idea.
Do you wash the veggies well, they can have bacteria and pesticides on them. It feeding veggie is definitely a great thing.
How do poops look?
Sorry your buddy is sick, it's always so scary
The fireworks are terrible around here at New year's too! Ugh kept me and the dogs and parrots up. But they didn't do any extra sleeping.

1 open his beak: I was just trying to get him to eat something other than seeds since he was literally more willing to fall off his perch than eating, but I'm aware it's not a good idea.
2veggie washing and poops: I do wash them as best I can, and his poops look just like they always have.

He's acting a bit better, unfortunately, I couldn't go to the vet today but tomorrow I'll go first thing in the morning. (or as early as I can considering they aren't open 24/7)